The Homecoming of a Friend
by flutiedutiedute
Summary: Mark and Elizabeth journey to the train station to pick up a friend who they haven't seen in a long time. Oh, did I mention she's moving back to Chicago . . .


The Homecoming of A Friend  
  
Author: Robbie a.k.a. dougandcarol22   
  
Disclaimer: If you think that I own these characters, I suggest you get some physiological help… call (265)-555-4840 and ask for Dr. Legaspi.   
  
Archive: Email me and ask, gigglgrl26@hotmail.com.   
  
Spoilers: Early Season 8. This was written after the first three episodes had already aired and therefore may contain spoilers for anything up to this point. Also contains spoilers for Episode 4 of Season 8.   
  
Setting: This story takes place at the same time as Never Say Never, Episode 4 of Season 8 will debut. It is obviously my own situation, and since it is highly unlikely to happen, only my own interpretation based on what I want and what I've heard. Enjoy!   
  
~~()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()~~  
  
A pair of brown eyes traveled across the patterned comforter, resting on a mass of curly red hair protruding from under the sheets. The still figure remained placid even as the anguished cries of an infant sounded next to her ear. Mark Greene groaned and left the comforting warmth of the sheets, slipping his chilled feet into a pair of worn brown slippers and standing up. He reached over his exhausted wife and flicked off the monitor from which the cries, now louder and angrier, came from. "I'm coming Ell-bug," he whispered to nobody in particular.   
  
As he tread down the hall in a pair of gray sweat pants and a black tee shirt, his footsteps echoed in the early morning silence. Arriving at a door, he reached for the knob, and turning it to the left, pushed the door open. The screams only grew louder and he was inclined to put his hands to his ears but refrained upon seeing the red-cheeked cherub wailing in her crib. A smile came to his face as he reached into the crib and lifted her out.   
"G'morning, Ella, baby. Whatsa matter?" As Mark cradled her to his chest, her watery green eyes met his brown ones, gazing intently. He walked over to the wooden rocking chair next and wrapping her in a fleecy receiving blanket, began to rock her. The cries subsided and soon enough, her eyelids closed in a peaceful slumber.   
  
Mark continued to rock her, knowing that if he stood up right now, she'd wake up and this time, more than likely wake her mother. He breathed deeply, transfixed by the heavenly baby smell that Ella seemed to wear wherever she went.   
  
Seconds later, Elizabeth walked into the room, fastening the belt on her plum colored robe. Seeing the sight before her, Elizabeth smiled. It was something amazing each time she saw it: her husband, rocking her daughter, their daughter. Something she had worried that she would never see after learning of the horrible tumor embedded in the tissue within her fiancées brain.   
  
He spoke first, breaking the sacred silence of the pre-dawn. "Hey. I thought you were going to try and sleep late?"  
  
She smiled, shaking her head. "I guess not. Mother's intuition, told me my baby was up."  
  
Mark grinned. "Uh huh. And the fact that she was crying." Elizabeth nodded and held out her arms for the quiet infant. Mark stood up and Ella stirred, her face crinkling into a frown, obviously angry at being woken.   
  
"Come to Mummy, El." She whispered, sitting down in the rocking chair and taking the baby from Mark. Planting a kiss on the soft skin of her cheek, Elizabeth looked up. "Go back to sleep, Mark. We have to be at Union Station by 9:00 to meet her train. The alarm is set, I'll come wake you at six."  
  
"Are you sure?" She nodded, leaning back in the chair and beginning to rock as Ella began to whimper.   
  
"Go." Mark nodded gratefully and leaned down to kiss her and Ella.   
  
"I love you." She smiled.   
  
"Me too."  
  
~()()()()()()()()()()()()()~  
  
Later that morning, Mark woke up and followed the familiar path into the nursery. Mother and daughter slept together peacefully in the rocking chair, in nearly the same position as he'd left them hours earlier. Hating to wake her, sleep deprived as she was, they needed to be at the airport by 9:00 a.m., and he knew she'd be angry if he didn't leave ample time for her to get ready. "Elizabeth," he whispered, gently rubbing her shoulder. Then a little louder, "Elizabeth. It's time to get up."   
  
Her eyes fluttered open. "Mark?"  
  
He grinned at her. "It's 6:30. I'd say we have to be out of here by at the latest 7:15. I'm ready now, you can go use the shower."  
  
She yawned, sitting up and shifting Ella in her arms. Then nodding, stood up and handed him the baby, who miraculously was still asleep. "I'll get her dressed," Mark confirmed.   
  
"Thanks." Now it was his turn to nod.   
  
"No problem. When I'm finished I can make some breakfast, what do you want?"  
  
"I'm okay, Mark. We can pick up bagels or something when we get there. If the train comes at 9:00, we really should be out of the house by 7, in which case I should hurry." Elizabeth grinned, and after giving Mark's hand a quick squeeze, and Ella a loving caress on the arm, she walked out of the room.   
  
Bouncing the awakened child in his arms, Mark grinned at her and she cooed happily, a rare happy mood so soon after being woken up. Then they went into the bathroom next to her room for a quick bath.   
  
After she was clean, Mark walked over to the changing table and lay Ella down on it, unwrapping her from the fluffy white towel and putting on a clean diaper. Then, he picked out a pair of yellow corduroy overalls and a white turtleneck and dressed her in it. He set her in her crib for a moment, and packed a little bag with some of the essentials, a pacifier, rattle, stuffed toy, clean diapers and a change of clothes.   
  
"Are you ready, Baby?" he cooed, and she grinned back, drooling happily. With the bag on his shoulder, he scooped her up and went downstairs to wait for Elizabeth to be ready.   
  
~()()()()()()()()()()()()()~  
  
As the light changed from red to green, a blaring horn rang out from somewhere behind them. Mark accelerated the car as Ella let out a wail from the back seat. Elizabeth sighed, as Mark pulled into the parking lot and the clock simultaneously changed to read 7:58. The dark green Jeep Cherokee pulled into a spot, and came to a stop. Elizabeth groaned and having already unbuckled her seat-belt, got out of the car to attend to the crying baby. In the meantime, Mark took her stroller from the trunk and set it up right outside the car door.   
  
"Shhh, Mummy's here, Ella," Elizabeth whispered. She picked Ella up and placed her in the stroller still crying, hoping that the rock of the stroller would send the tired infant back to sleep. As the couple advanced towards the entrance, her cries diminished and as expected, she slowly began to drift back to sleep.   
  
"Are you hungry, Elizabeth?" Mark inquired. "You didn't eat any breakfast, and we definitely have some time to stop, we don't have to be at the gate for at least 45 minutes."  
  
"Shall we get something to eat then?" She grinned playfully and linked arms with him.   
  
" Sounds like a plan. What would you like to have?"  
  
"Hmm … A bagel with some cream cheese sounds good to me. Naturally, it will be accompanied by a steaming cup of tea."   
  
Mark nodded and pointed at a little café. "How does that look?"   
  
"Good. I'll find somewhere to sit with the baby, you go order."   
  
"What can I get you?"  
  
"I'll have a large tea, and a sesame seed bagel with plain cream cheese." Mark nodded again, and walked over to the line, as Elizabeth found a little table with two chairs and space for the baby's stroller. She took a quick peek to see if Ella was okay, and found her sleeping peacefully, a perfect angel.   
  
A few minutes later, Mark returned with a white paper bag and two large styrofoam cups. "There are tables right by the gates, why don't we go sit there and then we can just sit without worrying that her train has come in early, or that we've missed her."   
Elizabeth smiled in agreement, and stood up. Together, they walked to the gate where the train would arrive, sitting down at a table similar to the one that Elizabeth and Ella had been sitting at before.   
  
~()()()()()()()()()()()()()~  
  
Nearly two and a half hours later a voice came over the loudspeaker, "Amtrack train number 23, from Phoenix, Arizona has just arrived, and should be letting off its passengers any moment. Passengers waiting for Amtrack train number 25 to Boston, Massachusetts that are riding in first class, with young children, or who require additional assistance should report to gate 6B at this time. Thank you, and we apologize for this untimely delay."  
  
Bouncing a giggling Ella in her lap, Elizabeth sighed, "Finally. I'd almost given up hope that it would ever arrive."  
  
Mark laughed, "You know, when you're tired you can be almost as cranky as the baby." Elizabeth glared at him, her cheeks turning a rosy red color.  
  
"Nana!" a young girl yelled running towards the gate, where passengers were beginning to emerge from the train.   
  
Mark stood up. "She should be here any second." Elizabeth nodded. The line of passengers exiting continued in a steady flow. Finally, a woman with short blond hair and blue eyes stepped out of the train.   
  
Elizabeth smiled, "Susan!" she called, waving the one arm that wasn't wrapped around her daughter. The woman looked around her, somewhat disoriented. "Susan!" Mark and Elizabeth yelled together. This time she turned around and found them waving happily.   
  
"Hey guys!" She walked up to Elizabeth and gave her a big hug, careful not to squish the baby. As the two friends ended their embrace and separated, Susan smiled at the baby. "Look at you, Ella, you've gotten so big since Mommy and Daddy came to visit."   
  
Mark moved closer, feigning hurt, "No hug for me?"   
  
Susan laughed merrily, "No hug for you, Mark, sorry." He raised his eyebrows about to say something in response when she threw her arms around him. "How could I not, Mark?"  
  
The three laughed and began to walk out towards the parking lot and baggage claim. "Do you have any checked baggage, Susan?" Elizabeth asked.  
  
"Yeah, just a couple days worth of cloths just in case the movers don't make it in time with my stuff or something."   
  
They continued to chatter amiably as they made their way towards the area where Susan would pick up her suitcase. "So, Susan, Elizabeth and I want to take you out for lunch, I'm sure you're hungry. Any requests?"  
  
"You guys don't have to do that," Susan exclaimed.  
  
Elizabeth laughed, "I don't remember Mark asking, Susan," she teased.   
  
Susan smiled gratefully. "In that case how can I resist? Anywhere is good."  
  
"Doc Magoo's it is," Mark cried strolling of ahead of the two women as they laughed together.   
  
~()()()()()()()()()()()()()~  
  
Later that night, Ella lay sleeping in her crib, Susan slept soundly in the guestroom and Mark and Elizabeth lay together in bed, talking quietly.   
  
"Today was fun, Mark. I'm glad we convinced Susan to come stay with us the extra week before she starts at County and can move into her new house."  
  
With one arm wrapped around her shoulder, Mark leaned down and kissed Elizabeth's temple. "You know I love you."  
  
"I know, Mark. I love you too, more than I could ever express in words."  
  
"Only you, Elizabeth." He paused thoughtfully. " I just want you to know, I don't love Susan, I thought I did once, but I was young and only in love with the idea of being in love. I understand what people mean when they talk about soul mates. That's how I feel about you, Elizabeth. We're soul mates, no matter what you hear at work, okay? Soul mates." He emphasized his words by placing another loving peck on her forehead.   
  
"Oh, Mark. I know. I… people have said things to me about you and Susan, but I know you would never do anything to hurt me or Ella."   
  
He shook his head. "I wouldn't. Never. It just that… Susan and I were best friends, she was there for me when I was having a really hard time getting through my life. When she left, it broke my heart, not because I was in love, but because I suddenly realized that my best friend was gone. And I couldn't handle that so I made myself believe we were in love. But we weren't. When she left, I vowed that I couldn't lose her. We've stayed in touch since then. That's why I felt it so important that she be a part of our life. Because now, my life if your life."  
  
Elizabeth nodded, feeling slightly teary eyed. "I know Mark, and she's becoming like the sister I never had. At first, when you told me about her, I was jealous. Carol and others told me some things that…" She looked him in the eye. "It doesn't matter. I want you to be friends. I'm glad she was there for you, when I wasn't. I'm glad that over the 3 years I've known her we've gotten so close."  
  
Mark smiled happily. "I'm glad you're happy, Elizabeth. Because I am. Probably the happiest I have ever been in my entire life."  
  
"Me too." They two shared a short kiss, and moments later fell asleep in each others arms, ready to conquer anything the world could possibly throw at them, together.   
  
~()()()()()()()()()()()()()~  
  
~ Finn ~  
  
All feedback is appreciated, please send it to gigglgrl26@hotmail.com. I'd love to hear what you think! 


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